5 Facts That Prove the Supremacy of Granite Over Quartz
Granite and Quartz have been part of a long running debate of which one is better than the other. Even though the answer is too obvious, it is imperative to support this answer with a thorough comparison of the properties of Granite and Quartz.
Granite is an igneous rock formed by quartz, feldspar & mica. It’s hard enough to resist abrasions and strong enough to bear significant weight. It can also resist weathering and can accept a brilliant polish. They are directly mined from the quarries and are cut into slabs of different measurements based on the requirements of customers.
Quartz is termed as an engineered stone or man-made stone. It falls under the category of natural stone, as it’s manufactured by mixing earthed natural quartz and polymer resins.
Now that we know the basic points that distinguish granite from quartz, let’s move on to the facts that prove granite is in every way a better option than quartz.
1. Durability
So, we have a question here! If you’re to build your dream home, what would you prefer for your kitchen top, benchtop, island counter and wall cladding, an artistic and durable stone or something that’s just ravishing in terms of looks? Undoubtedly, it’s going to be a durable stone. Granite, being a naturally formed material, has good properties and good rating on Mohs hardness index. The hardness of granite makes it easy to give a long-lasting glossy finish to its surface. Granite can withstand high temperatures and other adverse conditions. You’ll be surprised to know that quartz lacks these amazing properties to some extent. A hot pan can literally burn the surface of a quartz countertop. The reason behind the low heat resistance of quartz is epoxy resin, which is a bad conductor of heat. Granites are also widely used for invisible cooktops due to its high resistance to heat.
2. Ease of maintenance
While choosing a material for your residential or commercial project, it’s always important to consider the maintenance which will consume both your time and money. Porosity is considered as an important property of granites. Some granite materials need to be protected from stains that penetrate due to its porous nature. A good quality sealant can be used to avoid this stain penetration. If you think of it, you’ll understand that spending some time sealing the granite is much better than having a quartz countertop that easily melts upon exposure to high temperatures. You’ll also have to spend a fortune to fix the damaged area.
3. Aesthetics
You can’t deny the fact that aesthetics is one among the many elements you want to see in your house or commercial buildings. A natural stone like granite can give an aesthetically pleasing look to your wall claddings and benchtops. Granite comes in a huge range of colours and patterns. In some countries like the USA, Canada, Australia, China and the Middle east, granite is considered as a symbol of social status. They use the stone in the interior and exterior decor of their residence. Granites come in different colour ranges like, blue granite, red granite, black granite, pink granite and grey granite. Talking about the sizes in which granites are available, the rough blocks directly mined from the quarry are cut into gang saw size or cutter size based on the customer’s preference. Granites are available in different surface finishes in the market like, honed finish, leather finish and polished finish. Quartz are cheaper stones and can’t be sculptured to the required model or shape and its surface can’t be polished to high gloss or any other texture as of granite. The range of colours in which quartz is available is very poor and it’s also not as aesthetically pleasing as granite.
4. Eco-friendly
At first, it’d appear as if quartz causes less environmental degradation. But when you actually think of the processes involved in the production of both the stones, you’ll realise that quartz is more dangerous to the environment than granite. As both the stones are natural stones, both of them are mined from quarries. But quartz poses the real threat as it undergoes additional processings to mix the polymer resin which is a chemically hazardous material to use on countertops.
5. Negligible fading issues
Direct exposure to sunlight can easily fade a quartz surface and can change the properties of the resin which tends to lose the artificial shine over a particular period. This is why granite is widely used in exterior works like landscaping, monuments, staircases, and wall cladding.
At Katti-ma, we offer a wide range of granites in different colours, and some of them are exclusively available at Katti-ma. We are proud owners and distributors of the exotic Costa Dakota, Cladon Blue, Steel Blue, Red Pearl, Elephant Grey granites. We also have – Indian black, Black Pearl, Hassan Green, River White, Black Fantasy, Viscont White, Black Galaxy, Sera Grey, Steel Grey, Bahama Blue, Indian Mahogany, Paradiso, Blue Pearl, Catseye Brown, Kovai Gold, South African Dark Grey, Regal Black, SG Black, Samantha Blue. The range is constantly expanding with the addition of more colours.